Instincts
by EllipsisEndquote
Summary: A telling of Judy and Nick discovering their feeling for one another, and battling against all odds to stay together, despite the prejudice against pred/prey couples, and Nick's own inability to put Judy through the same hardships he faced as a child. Rated M for probable course language and eventual shipping degeneracy. Maybe violence too, who knows. I'm playing by ear.
1. Concert

"Thank you, Zootopia! For Everything! Good night!"

Gazelle had just finished her encore. The concert was coming to an end, and the crowd was beginning to disperse. Judy was a part of the crowd near the stage, still jumping and cheering for more, with Nick standing beside her, just clapping, but looking pleased.

"Ohh, it's over already?" Judy pouted, halting her jumping. She could listen to Gazelle all night.

"Carrots, need I remind you that we have a shift at 8am?" Nick said, in mock disapproval. He was also upset that the night winding down, but he couldn't deny that he was tired.

Right on cue, Judy stifled a yawn. He was right after all, and it _was_ nearing 1 in the morning.

"When did you get so goody-goody?" She joked, bumping him with her hip again.

Nick's heart skipped a beat from the contact, but he ignored it and shot back "When I was blackmailed into helping some bunny cop." with his signature sly grin, and began walking toward the exit with the rest of the crowd.

"Hustled" she corrected, hopping after him " _hustled_ into helping some bunny cop."

Nick sighed, remembering the incident, not exactly fondly, but with a small smile "You would have made a great con-artist, Carrots."

"And you're making a great cop" she responded. "Are you still giving me a ride home?" she added, as they exited the concert area.

"No, I was actually just going to leave you here. Early day tomorrow, I don't know if I'll have the time." He said, head still facing forward, but his eyes shot her a mischievous look.

"Har har." She said, rolling her eyes. "You're the one that said you wanted to drive, so don't go blaming me tomorrow for your lack of sleep."

Nick spotted his car in the distance and grabbed his keys from his pocket. "Well, after that remark, I think I _will_ leave you here." He said, and he broke into a run, looking back over his shoulder and laughing.

This was a mistake.

As soon as Nick's head turned back around, Judy zipped past him, not only knocking him off course, but snatching the keys from his hand.

Judy hopped high, turned in midair, and stuck her tongue out at him. "Too easy" she over her shoulder as she landed and sprinted toward Nick's car.

Nick was taken aback by the sudden burst of energy, and fought to regain his balance. " _How is she not tired at all?"_ he thought, as he chased after her. " _This bunny is going to be the death of me."_

Nick finally reached the car, gasping for breath, and gaped at Judy. She had her legs crossed and was sitting on the roof. "Y'know I actually thought about leaving you here. Would have served you right." She teased, and tossed him the keys.

"How – are you still – so fast?" He said in between breaths, and rested his head on the roof, right next to her. The cool metal was a godsend.

"I make an effort to stay in shape, Officer Wilde. Maybe next time I ask you to come jogging, you'll do it." She chided, sliding off the roof. "A better question is how are you so out-of-breath? You're basically fresh out of the academy, _and_ you were a star student!" She added, giving him a disapproving look.

"Yes, exactly. Star _student."_ He said, regaining a bit of his composure. "I aced all my written tests, Carrots, and I used my wits, rather than brute strength." He added smugly. "I've tried to avoid senseless physical exertion my whole life. I'm quick, but I never really had a lot of stamina."

The ambiguity of his statement dawned on him. "I'll admit, I haven't met many women that could… _finish_ a race before me" he said suggestively, giving her a smug grin.

"You're _so_ gross" Judy said, rolling her eyes, but not before failing to stifle a giggle.  
"Come on, get in" she said, walking around to the passenger door.

" _Now_ who's being gross?" Nick said in mock disgust.

"Oh my god, you never turn it off, do you?" she groaned, sitting in the passenger seat.

"You love me." He responded, turning the key.

"Yes, yes I do." She responded, smiling. And there it was. As the car purred to life, the level of a certain scent spiked in the car, and Nick knew what it was immediately. Judy had tried to play it off as a platonic, endearing gesture, but her body had betrayed her.

Nick hastily rolled the window down. As disappointing as it was, he couldn't allow the scent to cloud his mind. He loved the way she smelled when she was "in the mood". In fact, he couldn't get enough of it.

 _But she doesn't deserve that_ , he thought to himself. He knew all too well the kind of discrimination that predators and prey in relationships received. Hell, he received enough it just by being a fox, but a _bunny_ with a fox? There's no way he would make her go through that. As much as they both hurt because of it.

"Nick? Something wrong?" she asked. He was lost in thought, and had been far too quiet.

"No, thinking about waking up tomorrow." He said, thinking quickly. _Guard up_ he thought to himself. _Don't let her see she gets to you._

"Hmm, don't be such a baby" she said, fooled by his response. Smiling, she turned to look out the window. "I could have stayed here all night." She sighed.

"Well, I offered to leave you here" he joked, shooting her another sly smile. "But then you went and stole my keys."

"I knew I should have left you." She said, laughing.

The scent spiked again. He couldn't figure out what it was that he had said to set her off this time, so he angled his muzzle toward his open window and fell silent.

The rest of the car ride was uneventful. As the adrenaline and excitement from the concert had worn off, Judy became increasingly aware of how tired she actually was, and began to nod off almost immediately, while Nick was getting lost in his thoughts again. Judy's scent was spiking for what seemed like no reason at all. He glanced over at her and saw her breathing deeply, in the early stages of sleep, and then it dawned on him. She was probably hitting her heat cycle again. The time of the month where every single thing that happened made her scent flare up, as if she were the last rabbit on the planet, and repopulation was her only responsibility.

 _Great_ , he thought to himself. He hated it during her cycle. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He loved the way she smelled, that's for sure. It was intoxicating. And Judy always seemed more… well, not clingy, but more affectionate. She would touch him more, just brushes on the shoulder, or a hug at the end of their shift. To be honest, Nick really loved every second of those moments. The affection mixed with her scent made his head spin. No, what he hated was when he had to shut her down. He hated having to pretend that he didn't notice. He hated having to ignore his own urges and bodily functions.

More than anything, he hated the look on her face when he did all these things. She was so naïve, but she wasn't stupid. She would constantly drop hints, asking him to go to lunch or out to coffee after their shift ended, but Nick always had an excuse to avoid her, always promising to make it up to her. The look of disappointment was almost too much for him to bear. Maybe if she was just blunt about it, then he wouldn't have the heart to tell her no.

It took a few seconds for Nick to realize that he had driven right past Judy's apartment. He turned the car around and threw it in park right in front, then looked over at her. She was fast asleep in the passenger seat, head lolling to one side and ears drooping. _She really does look cute_ he thought to himself, laughing at the reaction his statement would have gotten out of her.

She stirred, and another wave of scent hit him in the face. His heart felt like he was going to explode. He looked forward and put his head on the steering wheel, breathing very deeply. He couldn't handle this anymore. Why did he have to be so noble?

"Carrots. Hey, Carrots" he said, starting to shake her gently. "Judy. Wake up, you dumb bunny, we're here."

"Mmph, whaa?" She mumbled groggily.

"Yeah, me too." Nick said, grinning at her.

"Oh, shut up." She quipped, realizing what was going on. "Apparently I was more tired than I thought…"

"Nonsense, you could have stayed at that concert all night!" Nick replied, still grinning.

"Ughh, are you always this irritating?" She said, rubbing her eyes gently.

"Yes?"

She sighed. "Dumb fox" she breathed. Then she smiled. "Thanks for the ride, and for dancing with me at the concert." She grinned "Even if you have the dance moves of an elderly elephant."

"Well, it looks like you'll be paying for the coffee tomorrow morning" he said, acting offended.

"Sure" She said "My treat" and she leaned over the middle and hugged him.

Nick's heart was pounding on the inside of his chest. Her scent was overpowering, and Nick's eyes glazed over for a fraction of a second before he pulled himself back together. He somewhat awkwardly patted her on the back. "Well. I'd better get going, I still have another ten minute drive ahead of me, thanks to this dumb bunny." He said dryly.

Judy pulled back and looked at him. "Do you just want to stay here?" she asked. "You know I just bought that couch. It's super comfy"

Judy was trying to stay casual, but she had a vague, hopefully look in her eye, and her scent had made another massive spike.

"No, I can't, my uniform is at home, and my spare is at the cleaners right now." He said. That wasn't entirely true, but he wasn't going to let her know that. "Thanks, though" He added, trying to look grateful.

The hopeful look in Judy's face was replaced with one of disappointment, and her ears drooped ever so slightly, but she nodded and said "alright, if you say so." And she stepped out of the car. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"7:45 sharp" he said, forcing a smile. "Try to be ready, Officer Hopps."

She rolled her eyes and smirked at him, but said nothing as she turned around and headed toward her building.

Now it was Nick's turn for his ears to droop. He watched her go inside with a sigh. She didn't even turn around to wave. Nick dropped his head back onto the steering wheel and sighed again. "You're so stupid" he said aloud to himself. "So. Unspeakably. Stupid."


	2. Not responsible

Judy sighed as she approached the door to her complex. She was going to turn around to wave goodbye to Nick, but she was fighting hard keep tears from building. His deflection really hurt this time.

Her mouth was dry, and her head was swimming with risqué thoughts. She was also getting very hot, and she knew exactly what this meant. She wasn't even really upset about being in heat; she was used to staving off her body's urges. But Nick always seemed to _know,_ and he always grew distant. Nick spent as little time as possible with her when it was her time of the month, and always brushed off any hints she dropped, both subtle, and not so subtle. Even worse, he's always so _casual_ about it.

 _You're an adult now, Judy_ she thought to herself _you can handle a bit of rejection. Lord knows you've gone through worse trials in your life._ She _had_ gone through far worse in the police academy alone. But with Nick, it was different. Especially with her biology insisting that she begin mating, she was just so…lonely.

She reached the door to her apartment and unlocked the door, sighing again. Bucky and Pronk were asleep, thankfully, and didn't hear her start to sob. She couldn't fully understand _what_ exactly was making her so emotional all of a sudden, and the frustration was just forcing out more tears. Without getting undressed, she slumped onto her bed and hugged her pillow. _Why don't you just ask him outright?_ A voice said in Judy's mind. But that was impossible. With all the mixed signals he was sending out, she couldn't be sure how he felt, but if she guessed wrong, then what would become of their friendship? No one ever tries to make a situation like this awkward, but the very act of consciously trying to avoid awkwardness had the opposite effect, in Judy's experience.

And then Nick would probably have to be reassigned to a new partner, in a building full of people that hadn't _really_ accepted the fox police officer into their ranks yet. She saw some of the looks that he still received around the station, and her ears were rather sharp.

No, she wouldn't do that to him. She had to stay on as his partner. She wasn't going to put him through any of that. The last thing she wanted to be responsible for was causing him unhappiness. The risk just isn't worth it.

Judy gave another dejected sigh as she stood up and began undressing for bed, painfully aware of the presence of her biological functions. She lay back down and hugged her pillow even tighter. As fast as her mind was racing, it didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.

* * *

"You idiot." Nick said to himself. "You colossal fucking tool".

He was legitimately angry with himself now, as he drove back to his own place. He drummed his paws on idly on the steering wheel.

"She was throwing herself at you, and you let her walk away." He said, still talking to himself. "Your nobility is sure gonna do you a lot of good when you die alone."

He sighed, stopping at a red light, and put his head on the steering wheel. He thought he was doing the right thing. He was _saving_ her from a life full of prejudice, after all.

 _But she doesn't need you to,_ a voice in his head said. _She's an adult. She can make her own decisions. Just ask her outright._ But how? _How_ could he bring himself to do that to her? He wasn't going to be responsible for her unhappiness. That's the last thing he wants. All his life, he lived as a selfish, walking stereotype, conning people out of money. Then _she_ came along and changed him. Just like that. Some dumb, country bunny walked into his life and beat him at his own game. She made him believe he could be more. She made him a part of something, and then she conned him again; right out of his heart.

He arrived at his own apartment but didn't get out of his car. He just put his head between his paws for a third time. "Stupid. You're stupid, but you're not selfish. Let it go."

And with that, he stepped out of his car and walked toward the door.


	3. Confession

_Author note:_

 _This has gotten a…fairly decent response in the short amount of time it's been available. It has like, 19 followers or something, which is at least 15 more than I expected. I wanted to say thanks to everyone, and let them know I plan to keep writing, and I'll probably just release pieces as I finish them. Chapter 2 was shorter than I planned, because I decided to break it up into 2 different chapters._

* * *

Nick woke before his alarm after a night of restless sleep. His dreams the night before had been all over the map, but the subject was always the same. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his paws, then looked at his alarm clock. 6:53. He sighed and looked the other direction, peering out his window. It was overcast, and gently misting, with dark gray clouds out in the distance, threatening a storm.

Not enough time to go back to sleep, he rolled onto his stomach and put his face into his pillow, and waited to shut his alarm off. He probably did end up dozing off again, because after what seemed an impossibly short time, he was struck with the familiar piercing screech of his alarm.

Sitting up and hitting the top of his clock, Nick began to get ready. He only spent about ten minutes in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and combing his fur, and he decided to just grab his uniform still in the garment bag and take it to work with him. He'd change in the locker rooms there, and he left his apartment much earlier than usual.

Nick arrived to Judy's apartment complex at around 7:40, and was surprised to see her standing just inside the door, already waiting for him. She seemed just as surprised to see him there, even if it was only five minutes early. She also looked just as tired as Nick felt; like she had woken up several times in the night.

Judy jogged over to Nick's car, her ears bouncing through the slight rain. She reached for the door handle, and her hand slipped off. It was locked. "Nick this has never been funny." She said to him, glaring through the closed window.

Nick feigned confusion, putting a paw to his ear and said "What was that? The window's closed."

"Just unlock the damn door" she pouted angrily. "My fur is getting wet." She was not in the mood for his shenanigans today, especially after last night, and in the beginning of her cycle. She was more than a little stressed out already.

Nick rarely heard Judy swear, and figured it was best to not push his luck today. As Judy stepped in and sat in the passenger seat, Nick handed her a coffee. "I thought I was buying today" she said, but gratefully accepted.

"I got an early start today, and I was feeling generous." He replied, sipping his own coffee.

Before he could add a sarcastic quip to that statement, Judy closed the door, and her scent hit Nick full in the face. He had almost forgotten that her cycle had started, and it definitely caught him off-guard. He made a motion to roll the window down before remembering it was raining. He almost whimpered. _Fantastic_ he thought to himself _almost zero sleep and day of getting hotboxed. Perfect._ Though he had to admit, as hard as it was to keep his head when she was like this, the scent was intoxicating, and he wasn't really _that_ upset.

Judy smiled at him and took a sip. She sighed and leaned back in her seat as Nick began to drive.

The station wasn't very far from Judy's apartment, only a five minute drive or so, and they arrived with just over ten minutes before their shift. Though the drive was short, Nick and Judy both felt like they were seconds away from snapping, though they obviously didn't show it. Neither of them was willing to admit their feelings for the other, even though the thoughts running through their heads were virtually identical.

Nick threw the car in park in the employee lot and opened the door, almost a little too quickly. Judy's scent was washed away by the smell of the rain, and he wasn't sure if he felt relieved or disappointed. Probably a little of both.

Judy noticed his swiftness and was a little hurt again. She couldn't help but feel that her not-so-subtle hints to have him spend the night were a little _too_ strong. She stepped out of the car and followed Nick into the lobby. He was looking straight ahead, and the air around them felt tense. They were greeted by Clawhauser at the front desk, same as usual.

"Well, you two sure are chipper this morning!" He said with a hint of sarcasm, noticing the awkwardness of the situation and eying them. "What's eating you already? Your day just started!"

Nick snapped out of his daze and reverted back to his charismatic conman routine. "Just a little groggy still" he said "A late night and an early start, I'll need more than one cup of coffee today." Just then, Nick realized he had left his garment bag in the car, in his haste to get outside and into fresh air that didn't fill his head with thoughts of Judy in various stages of undress. He shook his head "a _lot_ more than one cup today, apparently. I forgot my uniform in the car" and he turned around to walk back. "I'll meet you at the briefing, Carrots" he said over his shoulder.

Judy waved nonchalantly, trying to focus intently on some papers strewn across Clawhauser's desk. As soon as Nick's footsteps were out of earshot, though, she sighed and thumped her head on the desk.

Clawhauser looked at her and began to smile "So" he began "You guys had a _late night_ , huh?" He rested his chin in his paws and resisted the urge to squeal.

The emphasis on the phrase _late night_ gave Judy another twinge of sadness, and she rolled her head to look up at him. Clawhauser mistook the sadness and disappointment in her eyes, and hastily apologized "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to imply anything, it's just…you guys are so cute and-and you're always together and I guess we all just assumed…" he trailed off, looking at her closely.

The last part seemed to snap Judy back into reality. "What do you mean _we?"_ she asked intently. Was she that pathetically obvious?

Clawhauser looked ashamed, and tried to dodge the question "Just…just some guys around the station..?"

Judy couldn't think straight. Between Clawhauser's implications about last night with her and Nick, and her body's heightened reflex to those types of thoughts, she just sighed. She could feel her face heating up, and didn't lift it off the desk.

Clawhauser kept eyeing her, and noticing her embarrassment, his face began to light up again. "Wait. _Did_ something happen between you two?" he asked, barely containing his glee.

Judy was now fighting tears again, but she pulled herself together. She wasn't sure if she should mention anything about her feelings, but Clawhauser had always liked her, and even though he was an incorrigible gossip, he would keep a secret if she asked. And if she didn't get some of this off her chest, she was going to explode. "No, he…he kinda shut me down." She said "Again." She added with another sigh.

Clawhauser seemed hurt on her behalf. "That stubborn fox." He said "He's gonna get a piece of my mind."

Judy bolted up and looked at him in panic, her face and ears still burning. "No!" she almost yelled, and added quieter "don't tell him! I don't want to make things…weird between us."

Clawhauser smirked at her. "Jude, everything about the way you two walked in was screaming _'weird'_ " he told her. "I'd say you're well beyond that point."

Judy didn't know how to react. So she _was_ pathetically obvious. She put her head down on the desk again and sighed once more. "Please? I'm begging you, I don't want to have him reassigned to a new partner. He's having a hard enough time getting along here."

Clawhauser put his paw on her arm softly and sighed as well. "Fi-ine" he said "but what are you going to do?"

Judy shrugged. "I have no idea. That dumb fox is so hard to read. I don't ever know _what_ he's thinking. Not really." She said dejectedly.

Clawhauser thought for a moment, and then had an idea. "Alright then, we're going out tonight. I already have plans and there's no reason you two can't tag along. Francine and her boyfriend are coming as well."

Judy thought back to all the times Nick had deflected her invites anywhere, especially when she was in heat. "I don't think he'll be up for that-" she began, but Clawhauser wasn't going to take no for an answer, and cut her off.

"None of that" he said "you're coming, Nick's coming, that's final" he said, stifling a giggle. "If he's interested, he'll have to make a move, trust me."

Judy looked at him, confused.

Clawhauser noticed and asked "have you heard of the club _Instincts_?" he asked.

Judy had not, nor had she really been to _any_ clubs. She didn't really get out much, being so focused on work. "No..?" she said, uncertainly.

"Perfect" he happily chimed. "Get going to the briefing, you're going to be late. I'll handle everything. Go! Shoo!" He said, grinning at her and motioning with his paws.

Judy looked at her phone. It was 7:59. She jumped and ran to the briefing room, pushing her budding excitement out of her mind.


	4. Instincts

_Author's note:_

 _Alright, so. I know I said last chapter that this one was going to be the cute one, but I guess I lied. Sorry. It's already twice as long as the other's, so I decided to break it up again. On the plus side, I'm super excited to keep writing, so you guys'll probably have another chapter tomorrow. Please let me know what you think if you haven't already! I'm very proud of this, and I feel like I don't deserve it because I'm not getting constant validation to feed my ego._

 _No seriously, please critique me if you're interested. I feel like the pacing might be a bit off, since I don't have a whole lot (read: zero) writing experience. And someone PLEASE offer to beta read for me. I feel weird singling out random internet strangers and asking them directly._

* * *

Nick walked back out into the rain, thankful for the chance to clear his head. He snatched his uniform bag out of his car, and decided to circumvent the lobby by using the back entrance. It made sense, since it was closer to the locker rooms, but he didn't feel very good about avoiding Judy. He wasn't even exactly sure _why_ he wanted to avoid her, that was the most irritating part. No woman had ever had this effect on him.

He stepped into the locker room and began to change quickly. Several other officers were also changing, but mostly back into civilian clothes, as their shift was ending. Most were friendly, and gave Nick a generic head nod, which he returned, but a few shot him odd looks, and one or two were downright aggressive. Nick ignored it, as he was used to this type of treatment from the general public. It wasn't anything new. It would have upset him even more if he worked on the same shift as the other officers, but he figured there was no point getting upset about the opinions of virtual strangers. There will always be a few people that didn't agree with the ZPD's decision to hire him, and a few mean looks was certainly much better than being outright denied for the position.

After donning his uniform, Nick checked his phone for the time, and noticed he only had five minutes left before the briefing. Slightly panicked, he sped toward the stairs and up to the meeting.

Skipping the elevator seemed to be a good decision, as he had even arrived before Judy. The room was full of energy, and a little rowdy as usual, and he took his seat in the front row and pulled his phone out again, idling surfing Muzzlebook. He scrolled aimless and considered taking a selfie to show off his uniform when Chief Bogo walked in, closely followed by Judy, who looked slightly out of breath.

Judy took the seat right next to Nick and smiled at him. The smile coupled with the all too familiar scent almost made him shiver. _She certainly seems happier than she had ten minutes ago_ Nick thought to himself, as he returned her smile with a smirk of his own.

Everyone quieted down as Bogo took his place at the front of the room, all attention turning to him. "Alright then." He began

"Uneventful day, no new recruits, no birthdays, no serious crimes. Perfect. Wolford, Fangmeyer, McHorn, you're all on undercover. Pennington and Higgins, you'll be investigating an armed robbery in Tundratown, the rest of you are on traffic duty until something else happens. If you need me, I'll be in my office. If you have grievances, know that I don't care about them. Now get out." And he began to walk out the door.

Nick sighed, apparently a little too loudly, because Bogo stopped and turned around. "Officer Wilde" he boomed, making Nick jump. "Do you have a problem with your assignment? I've already been perfectly clear that your grievances mean nothing to me, next time wait for me to leave the room before you begin complaining."

Nick was a little offended and responded "yes sir, it's just, we've been on traffic duty since the missing mammals case ended-"

Bogo cut him off "Yes, yes you have. Do you think traffic laws stopped getting broken when you found those missing mammals?"

"Is that rhetorical?" quipped Nick.

"Very astute, Officer Wilde. Just because you solved the missing mammals case, that does not mean you and Officer Hopps are any more than rookie cops." He said. Judy groaned and put her head in her paws. She was doing that a lot today, and she hated being involved in Nick and Bogo's arguments. "You're lucky you're not on parking duty still, Wilde. Now go do your job." And he walked off again.

Nick waited for the door to close before letting out another, more exaggerated sigh.

"Why. Why do you constantly antagonize him?" Judy groaned, giving Nick a glare.

"Was _that_ rhetorical?" he responded, smirking at her. "Because it's fun, Carrots. And I'm tired of traffic duty." He wasn't being entirely honest. He _was_ tired of traffic duty, even though it was one of the easier jobs on the force. But he was more upset that he would be locked in a car with Judy. In the rain. While she was sending out that intoxicating scent. There was absolutely no way he was going to be able to concentrate. He could certainly think of worse ways to spend his time, of course, but he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

Judy rolled her eyes at him. "You're asking to get punished. You know that, right?"

"Cops have been trying to punish me for years" he replied smugly, straightening his badge.

Judy suddenly remembered her conversation with Clawhauser. She was considering just asking Nick herself, but decided to heed Clawhauser's advice and let him handle it. And she might as well make it easier for him.

"Hey, I have to use the restroom before we head out" she said, thinking quickly. "Can you grab the keys to the cruiser? I'll just meet you out there."

Nick eyed her. He was much better at reading her than she was at reading him, and something about the way she talked to him was suspicious. He couldn't put his claw on what, though, so he simply agreed "yeah, sure, I'll be right out." And he walked off toward the lobby.

* * *

Nick waved at Clawhauser as he approach the desk, but before he could say anything, Clawhauser began to speak.

"Nick!" he said "Just the fox I wanted to see."

Nick looked at him, puzzled "Oh? I must be getting even more popular." He said, with just a hint of derision in his voice.

"Oh, you have no idea." Clawhauser replied. "I was just going to invite you out with some other officers tonight. You're the newest one here, so it could do you some good to make a few more friends."

Nick was taken aback by the invite. He certainly wasn't expecting this. "Really? Who's going?"

"Oh, not too many. Francine is bringing her boyfriend, I may invite Fangmeyer as well, if I see him around. Oh, and I invited Judy, too." He said, eying his reaction.

Nick's ears fell. The suspicion he felt toward Judy earlier suddenly made sense. "I don't think-" he began, but was cut off again.

"Nick, you know how hard it is to get Judy to let loose. She needs this as much as you, she's always too focused on her job, even outside work." Clawhauser sighed. "And you're her best friend, I'm sure she'd really appreciate it if you showed."

Nick was questioning Clawhauser's motives, and simply tilted his head in thought. _It's not like it'll be just the two of you_ he thought to himself. _They're probably going to some cop bar, it's not like anything could happen._

Clawhauser pushed on "C'mon Nick, you guys both have tomorrow off anyway. Don't you want to-" he paused "get _wilde_ tonight?" and he began to chuckle at his own pun.

Nick looked at him blankly. "Never say that again." He said flatly.

"Is that a yes?"

Nick sighed, and rubbed between his eyes "Fine, if you promise never to say that again. Where are you guys going?"

Clawhauser thought Nick might be a little more familiar with the nightlife around Zootopia, so he just shrugged "dunno yet."

Nick looked at him blankly again, but was fooled this time "Playing it by ear? Yeah, that's never ruined any plans. Sounds incredible." He said sarcastically.

Clawhauser suppressed a smirk as he reached for the keys and slid them across the desk at him. "It will be." He said, slightly mysterious. Nick was about to ask what that was supposed to mean, but Clawhauser had turned his attention to the box of donuts next to him, and seemed to forget that Nick was even there as he began scarfing them down. Nick just shook his head as he grabbed the keys and walked toward the parking garage.

* * *

Nick approached his and Judy's cruiser and found her lounging on the hood, waiting for him, staring down at her phone.

Judy looked up at him and smiled again. She also noticed how handsome he looked in his uniform. She always did. It made something in her stir, and she felt her face and ears heat up, so she quickly hopped off the hood and waited at the passenger door, trying her best to hide her reaction.

Nick, of course, noticed her reaction immediately, and started to rethink his agreement to go out tonight as a strong wave of scent crashed over him. _This bunny will be the death of me, I swear to god_ he thought to himself as he unlocked the doors.

As they both settled in, Judy spoke first. "That took longer than usual, was Clawhauser stuffing his face again?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"No, he actually invited me to go out with you guys tonight" he responded, rolling the window down. He knew everything. He could literally smell her excitement, but ultimately decided it wasn't the _worst_ thing in the world.

"Oh, I forgot about that" she said "they've been trying to get me to go out since I started, but I've always been so busy with work. Are you coming?" She added hopefully, looking at him.

Nick thought for a moment about cancelling. He didn't want to lead her on, but he looked over and saw her beaming at him, and his heart melted. "Yeah, I could use a few more friends around the office." He said. "Surprisingly enough, my stunning good looks aren't winning the hearts of as many coworkers as I imagined."

Judy snorted. "Charm can only get you so far when you aren't using it to con people out of money, _Officer Wilde_." She emphasized the last phrase with a feigned disapproving tone.

Nick simply chuckled and drove out the garage exit.

* * *

The rest of the shift was mainly uneventful. They stopped for coffee again, earlier than usual, and Judy paid as promised. Nick was already tired of driving, and had Judy take over for him after their coffee stop. They wrote a few tickets for speeding, and were called to a car accident which happened to only be a parking lot fender-bender.

Nick was quite proud of himself for remaining cool around Judy, even with the rainy day making it difficult to crack a widow without raising suspicion. There were a few moments when he breathed a little too deeply and his eyes glazed over (which was the main reason he asked Judy to drive) but overall, he was pleased with the situation, and decided tonight might not be as bad as he was expecting.

Judy was remarkably calm as well. She was, of course, a nervous wreck about tonight. She had no idea what she expected to happen, but she was also insanely excited, not only because she was finally going to hang out with Nick after work, but because she had never gone out with any of the other officers after work. In fact, she hadn't really done anything when it came to Zootopia's nightlife, outside of calls to the ZPD for random bar fights. She didn't know what to expect with _any_ of it.

They pulled back into the station around 5:00, and began to fill their reports for the day. Since nothing exciting happened, it didn't take long, and they were finished earlier than usual. As Nick went to the locker room to change back into civilian clothes, Judy headed back to the lobby to wait for him, where she met Clawhauser again.

"Busy day?" He smiled at her.

"Exactly the opposite. Everyone is always more careful in the rain." Judy said putting her paws on the desk. "How about you?" she asked.

"Oh, it's been a breeze." He said happily "and it wasn't hard to convince Nick to come out tonight either." He added, winking at her.

Judy blushed. "Thanks" she said weakly, suddenly embarrassed.

"Oh, don't mention it. It's going to be a blast, just wait." He said, his smile turning into an excited grin. "I'll pick you both up around 9, is that alright?" he asked.

Judy nodded, "should be." She said, just as Nick appeared in the lobby.

"Ready?" He asked

Judy nodded and waved to Clawhauser "see you tonight!" and turned toward the door.

"9 o'clock, don't forget!" he said again, mostly for Nicks benefit.

The drive to Judy's apartment was just a tad worse than the day in the cruiser. Nick could tell that Judy was getting more and more _excited_ as time ticked by, even with the relatively short car ride.

The reached Judy's building and Nick parked the car. Judy turned to look at him and said "I'm glad you're coming tonight! We don't hang out after work nearly enough." And she reached over to hug him.

Nick inhaled as she moved toward him, and without thinking, he hugged her back. Tightly. The more he squeezed, the more her scent flared, so he squeezed her like she was the only thing that mattered. He put his nose down and inhaled deeply, getting drunk off her scent. He didn't need oxygen anymore, just her.

As quickly as he had started, Nick snapped himself back to reality and pulled away, almost feeling physical pain as he did so. "I'll see you around 9 then?" He said, ignoring the new atmosphere they had just created.

Judy smiled and nodded, as she stepped out "See you then!"

She shut the door and walked toward the building, grinning widely to herself. _There was nothing mixed about that_ she thought to herself smugly as she turned around again to wave.

* * *

Clawhauser pulled in front of Nick's apartment building and shot him a text. Judy was already in the front seat, wearing a white shirt with a purple plaid shirt over it and blue jeans, which he made fun of immediately. "You _really_ don't get out much, do you, country bun?" he teased.

Judy also wasted no time in telling Clawhauser about the hug she shared with Nick earlier, which made him squeal with joy.

Nick walked out of the building, wearing a dark green t-shirt and dark pants. It complimented him nicely, or at least Judy thought so. He slid into the back seat saying his hello's and smiling at Judy. She beamed back at him. "So where are we going?" he asked Clawhauser as he drove off into the city.

"We're meeting Francine at a little club in the city. _Instincts._ Have you heard of it?" Clawhauser suppressed a smirk as he looked at Nick in the rearview mirror.

Nick thought for a moment. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he wasn't really into the club scene. The bars were more his style. "Maybe, I don't think I've ever been there, though." He said, as he sat back in the seat.

Clawhauser smiled and winked at Judy. After a short while, Calwhauser pulled into a parking lot across the street from the building. "Alright, then!" he said, as he stepped out of the car. He shot Nick a mischievous grin as he stepped out as well, but he didn't notice, he was looking at the building across the street.

 _Instincts_ was lit up in bright red neon above the door, and the windows were blacked out. It almost looked like a strip club, and Nick was slightly put off. _Weird_ _place to bring a woman_ he thought to himself, before hastily reminding himself that this _wasn't_ supposed to be a date.

As they approached a door, two other mammals exited; a kangaroo and a deer. As they walked past, Nick noticed idly that they were holding hands.

They walked through the threshold of the club when it hit him and he did a double-take. _They were holding hands._ Then it dawned on him as he looked around. It wasn't odd to see mammals of a variety of species all gathering in a place like this. However, it _was_ odd to see that a large portion of them seemed to be couples. Nick noticed a gazelle and a lion dancing (rather suggestively) on the floor in the middle of the room. He glanced at the bar to the left and noticed at least three different couples made up of various animals. A panda and a tiger were chatting on one of the couches in the corner; the tiger sitting in the panda's lap.

Nick looked down at Judy, who looked up at him just as taken aback. Clawhauser simply smirked and, after looking around a bit, spotted Francine and her boyfriend: a buffalo. He looked a little like chief Bogo, only much more lean.

Nick gulped and looked around again. _Heh, alright, score is 0-2 in favor of the ZPD_ he thought to himself. He'd been hustled. Again.

He now knew why the name of the club sounded familiar. It was a controversy magnet.

 _Instincts_ was a favorite of Zootopia's inter-species couples.

* * *

 _End notes:_

 _Instincts. Get it? Because it's the name of the story?_

 _Whatever, nevermind._

 _Also, I've never been to a strip club. No idea what they look like. If my description of what a strip club might look like is completely off, then just assume that Zootopia strip clubs are different. Thanks._


	5. Together

_Author note: this chapter is centered around a song, that I encourage everyone to listen to while reading. If you want to get the full effect, I'll mark where to start it with (~) that symbol, but if that feels too much like work, then don't do that, and just listen to it. Maybe on repeat, I really like it. It's on Youtube:_ _Subtact – Together ft. Charlotte Colley. It's EDM, so if you aren't into those types of genres, then you can ignore everything I just said, but this song is what I'm basing this chapter on._

* * *

Nick's head was swimming as he took in more of the scene around him. He couldn't believe he was talked into this. He looked down at Judy, sure she had something to do with this, but his eyes softened when he noticed she looked just as confused and nervous.

Judy didn't see Nick shoot daggers at her; she was too busy looking at the couples on the dance floor. She knew that inter-species relationships happened, but it wasn't very common. She tore her eyes away from one of the pred/prey couples locked together; a vixen and a pig; and began to look around the club, taking it all in.

The dance floor was sunken directly in the center surrounded by red neon lights, pulsing slightly and hanging from the ceiling, giving a red glow of energy to the whole area. Along the left wall was the bar, decorated with the same neon lights across the edge, and high tables with stools in the area between the bar and the dance floor. Along the back wall there were bunches of sleek, comfortable chairs and sofas, arranged in circles with low tables in the center of them. The right wall was lined with three doorways, evenly spaced. With her limited knowledge of dance clubs, Judy deduced that they probably led to VIP areas.

Judy's uneasiness began to fade, and was starting to get replaced with excitement. As her heart stopped pounding in her ears, she began to listen to the music that was playing. It was an electronic tune that she vaguely recognized from one of the _Monsterkit_ playlists she sometimes listened to on Zootube, but she couldn't remember the name.

She looked up at Nick hopefully, but her face fell when she saw his expression. He looked _very_ nervous, and almost angry. Determined to make the night enjoyable at the very least, she grabbed Nick's forearm and half dragged him toward Clawhauser and Francine, sitting at one of the high tables at the edge of the dance floor.  
Clawhauser had already dragged two more stools, taller to accommodate for the smaller mammals, from a nearby table, waving as they approached. Francine had her back turned, not noticing them until they were already sitting down.

She looked over at Judy and laughed, giving her a mocking, surprised face. "Holy shit, it's Hopps!" she said loudly "I never see you out of uniform, are you and Wilde undercover?" she teased, acknowledging Nick as well.

Judy snorted and rolled her eyes, while Nick did nothing, still trying to find his bearings. "No, I've just had a rough couple days, and Claw decided to invite me clubbing to take my mind off it" Judy explained.

"Well it's good to see you finally decide to have a little fun" she smiled, raising her drink toward her. "This is my boyfriend Blake, by the way" she added, motioning toward the buffalo, who nodded politely and smirked. He was looking at Nick's exceedingly nervous expression.

Nick realized he was being watched intently, and once again pulled himself back to reality. He was not used to feeling _this_ nervous about anything, though, and was finding it difficult to be as charming as usual. "Rough couple days is right" he said, echoing Judy. "I need a drink."

Right on cue, a waitress walked over to greet the new arrivals. She was a Zebra with several piercings in her ears. "Can I get you guys anything?"

Nick ordered a whiskey highball, his standard mixed drink, to start the night. The waitress then turned to Judy, who knew nothing about drinks.

"Uhm…" she began, looking around for help. Francine came to her rescue.

"You make carrot boats here?" She asked, and the waitress nodded. "One of those for the bunny, please." And she winked at Judy.

In no time at all, the waitress returned with their orders and put them down on the table. Judy grabbed her colorful drink and took a sip. It was very sweet, and tasted nothing like any alcohol she'd ever had (which admittedly, was very little).

Nick took a long drink from his own glass to calm his nerves. He had no idea what he was going to do. Judy was _very_ excited, and her scent was driving Nick insane. He noticed other canines and mammals with similarly gifted noses eying Judy, and an odd feeling of protectiveness stirred inside him. Almost subconsciously, he scooted his stool a little closer to her as he struck up a conversation with Blake to distract himself.

The night continued with random chatter and a bit more alcohol. Francine talked about the armed robbery from earlier that day and how the investigation led absolutely nowhere, whilst Judy responded with the uneventful car accident that she and Nick had responded to on traffic duty. Clawhauser considered himself a bit of a fifth wheel and was content with just listening, glancing at Nick every so often, who seemed to be calming down quite a bit.

Nick was finding it easier to seem calm and collected but his mind was racing. A few animals were still shooting glances at Judy and he was aware of them all. _This is what you were trying to protect her from_ he thought, as the thought of Judy dancing with a wolf that had just leered at her crept into his mind. It made him irrationally angry and he clenched his paw under the table. He was torn. He didn't want to put her through a life of constant judgement and prejudice. But he wanted her, more than any of the mammals here. Sure, the atmosphere was accepting enough, but these relationships were in the minority by a large margin, and there were plenty of mammals that found the idea downright perverted.

Nick looked around again and saw a koala eying Judy like so many others. Only, the koala was speaking with the waitress and gesturing toward their table. Nick realized he was trying to buy her a drink. With the combination of alcohol and Judy's scent filling his nose, his protective instinct took control and the words left his mouth before he could think.

"D'you wanna dance?" he blurted, interrupting Judy's conversation with Francine. His ears fell back slightly as he realized what he had just done and how foolish he sounded doing it.

Judy looked slightly taken aback, but positively beamed at him. "O-okay!" she said timidly, embarrassed but excited. Something strong stirred in her stomach, and she felt like she was on fire.

Clawhauser had to turn around and stifle a squeal and hide his smile as Nick and Judy walked toward the dance floor. Blake smirked at Francine and held out his hoof under the table, where she slipped him a twenty, looking defeated but laughing.

Nick's heart was pounding again as Judy led him down the stairs into the floor area; by the hand this time. Her scent was stronger than ever, making him feel light-headed. _What did you just do?_ He thought to himself again. _What the fuck were you thinking? You were trying to avoid this._

Nick's internal battle ceased abruptly when Judy turned and pulled herself into his embrace. She hugged him and began bouncing to the music. She was slightly tipsy, but still coherent, and she was loving every second of it. She looked up at him and then backed away and began to dance.

Nick felt cold and his head was swimming again. He couldn't tell if he was drunk from the booze or from her scent, but he knew which one he needed more of. Without thinking again, he grabbed her hand and spun her around, pulling her back toward his chest.

Judy's scent flared again as he took control and she began rubbing up against him in time with the song. Nick bent his muzzle down toward her neck and inhaled, brushing against the side of her face. She melted and rubbed against him, more forceful this time, and Nick returned in tempo. The song was fast and heavy, and they moved the same way, lost in each other.

~~~As the song ended she turned back around, looking directly into his eyes, and Nick gazed back. She didn't seem like the same Judy: the usual determined look in her eye was replaced by a look of pure happiness. She smiled widely at him as the next song started. It was softer than last one, but still upbeat. Judy recognized it and began to bounce in time again, still in Nick's arms.

Nick was lost. All he could think about was the look in her eyes. She was in his arms and looked like she had all she'd ever wanted. Everything dawned on him in that moment. She was _happy_ with him. _That's all you wanted_ he thought. _The dumb bunny is actually happy to be with you. To be seen with you. To be in your arms. And you know how she gets when she wants something._ He looked at her again and smiled, causing her to stop dancing and look back. Nick knew she wasn't stupid or blind. She had to know their relationship would be perceived as odd to others. But other people's opinions hadn't stopped her from becoming a cop, why would she let them stop her from loving a fox? Nick marveled at his own stubbornness and almost laughed. All the nervousness and fear about the night suddenly evaporated, replaced instead with a sense of longing.

They stood still, gazing into each other as the lyrics to the pre-chorus breakdown started:

 _When we get together_  
 _The feeling's so strong_  
 _We'll make it through the weather_  
 _And go on and on_

As the lyrics repeated, the beating of Nick's heart seemed to speed up along with the song's pulse. All he could do was stare at her in awe, until the song hit the peak of the buildup and reached the focal point and he lost control.

He kissed her right then and there, in the middle of the dance floor.

Judy was surprised at his sudden action, but returned the kiss almost immediately, closing her eyes and wrapping her paws around the back of his neck. Nick placed a paw behind her head, placing his other on the small of her back as he parted his lips. She did the same and melted into him, making a small noise in the back of her throat, sending a shiver of longing up Nick's spine. He ran the paw from behind her head towards her cheek to caress her face, lightly dragging his claws across her fur as he did so. She made another noise of pleasure, louder this time, and deepened the kiss, rubbing up against him even closer as a wave of want enveloped her.

They stayed locked together for quite some time. Every once in a while, Nick would think about pulling away to break the kiss, but when he breathed, her scent filled his nostrils and he just kissed her deeper. Judy was finally the one to break away. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, the outro of the song playing in the background. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Clawhauser grinning widely at them with his chin in his paws. She then saw Nick glance at the exit and, reading his mind, grabbed him by the paw and led him straight there, almost running toward the door.

* * *

 _End note: How to make a whiskey highball:_

 _One part whiskey_

 _Two parts ginger ale (more or less to taste)_

 _They're delicious and you should try one. I recommend Jameson._

 _Special thanks to jamierolls for not only editing my work, but getting it to me in the dead of night. They're the best._


	6. Eager

_Author note:_

 _Thank you so much for the positive response, it's been great._

 _This chapter gets vaguely suggestive, but the thought running through my head the entire time was " Try not to be gross." Also, I have a betareader now (thanks, jamierolls, you're the best) and I'm trying to conduct an experiment to pinpoint the exact amount of smut he's willing to sift through and edit effectively before he tells me to stop sending him shit. I'll be introducing explicit themes very gradually, so as to examine the exact point where he loses faith in humanity. If people are interested enough though, I'll release a non story-relevant, optional chapter to satisfy you deviants. It'll be composed entirely of disgusting smut. However, I would like to preserve the scientific method of my experiment as much as possible, so I probably won't send it to jamierolls before posting. Mistakes are possible._

 _Anyway, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Clawhauser made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a squeal as he watched Nick and Judy racing for the door. "Those two are just _so_ cute. I can't handle it".

Francine sighed. "They absolutely are" she agreed "I can't believe I made that bet. But I was so sure Nick wasn't going to make his move. Did you see how nervous he looked?"

Blake chuckled. "I can't believe it either. You didn't see him shoot daggers at every mammal that even looked at her? He had to make a move before someone else did." He said.

"Oh, shut up and buy me a drink" Francine responded, playfully glaring at him, and he waved the waitress over.

* * *

Judy reached the door first, pushing it open and letting Nick walk out first. When he was just outside, she hopped up on his back happily, wrapping her legs around his middle and nuzzling his neck. He was slightly caught off-guard, but grabbed under her knees to support her, laughing. He walked across the street with her riding on his back, and actually entered the parking lot and began searching for his car before remembering Clawhauser had driven them here. He smirked at himself, blaming the bunny for his forgetfulness, but wasn't too upset about it.

Nick simply turned back to the sidewalk and began jogging toward the nearest subway entrance, bouncing Judy playfully on his back, causing her to giggle. As they walked down the steps into the subway station, she sighed and nuzzled his neck again. "Why are we so stupid?" she asked, locking her arms around his chest and resting her face on his shoulder.

"We?" Nick said, glancing at her. "No, _I'm_ stupid. You were painfully obvious."

She thumped him on the chest with her locked arms. "I was _not_ painfully obvious."

Nick smiled "You can lie all you want Carrots, but your body gives you away." She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him, confused. "It sure is… _hot_ this week." He added, putting an unnecessary amount of emphasis on the word.

The bad pun flew over her head. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked indignantly, hopping off his back. Nick just smiled at her as they entered the subway car.

They argued playfully during the short ride to the station closest to Nick's apartment. Judy was sure he was bluffing, and Nick was teasing her about it. Her scent was almost overwhelming, and Nick had to fight the urge to kiss her again in the middle of the subway.

When they reached the station, Nick grabbed her hand and, leading her this time, took her back up to the surface and toward his apartment.

When they reached the door to his place and he fumbled with the keys, she did her best to look grumpy, and not excited. "I'm _not_ obvious." She pouted.

Nick had the key in the lock, but let go and turned around. Her scent flared with anticipation, and Nick inhaled deeply. "Obvious." He said simply, kissing her on the top of her head, just between her ears. He turned around, opened the door and stepped inside before waving her in.

His apartment was much larger than hers, and better furnished as well. She would have been impressed if she had taken the time to look at everything, but instead she just eyed the couch in front of the television. Nick turned around to smile at her when she abruptly pushed him toward it. He stumbled back and landed on it as she hopped up next to him. Her scent spiked as she looked at Nick with fire in her eyes, and she kissed him forcefully.

Nick returned her kiss and pulled her on top of him as he laid back. She straddled him as he opened his mouth to taste her again and she moaned, deepening the kiss. Her paws were exploring every inch of his torso she could reach. She reached under his shirt and stroked his chest, and they halted the kiss so he could pull it over his head. She sat up and did the same with her own. When his face reappeared, he was smirking at her. Her scent had spiked again and he breathed it in deeply. "Obvious" he said again, teasing her. For ruining the moment, she thumped him on the chest for a third time.

"I'm _not!_ " she cried. "Just because you're so hard to read…" She complained.

"It isn't your fault." He explained, grinning. "I told you, your body gives you away."

"Yeah, and then you didn't explain what you meant by that-"

Nick cut her off, grabbing her and flipping them around so he was on top. He gazed at her lazily and then bent down to whisper in her ear.

"You really have _no_ idea how good my nose is, do you?" he whispered, inhaling deeply again and kissing her neck. The sensation and the anticipation made her shiver. "You can lie all you want, but your body chemistry can't." and he gave her a smug look. "I notice every time you're turned on, every subtle change." And he pressed his muzzle up against her neck to bring about another spike.

She shuddered, and her hips rose instinctively. Even through the layers of fabric, she could feel him. _He's_ obviously _turned on as well_ she thought bitterly. "Prove it" she said, hoping to catch him in a bluff.

Nick just smirked at her and began listing off the times he could recall. "Well, I believe your heat cycle started last night, after the concert." He said, glancing at her and watching her eyes grow wide. "Then there were several times in the cruiser during our shift. Once when I made a noise after taking a sip of coffee, that was weird." And he smirked wider. "On the dance floor, obviously. Oh, and the night in the museum." He added the last part and narrowed his eyes, grinning.

Judy's heart sank. "That didn't happen" she lied.

"Such big ears, and you still can't listen" he quipped. "You can lie all you want. Your body can't" and to prove it, he suddenly pinned both of her arms above her head with one paw. With his other, he ran his claws across her fur, down the entire length of her body, and barred his teeth playfully.

Judy shuddered, and her hips rose against him again. She moaned softly, and half-heartedly struggled to free her arms. "It's nothing to be ashamed of" he whispered in her ear again, teasing her and nipping at it lightly.

This sent her over the edge. She freed one of her arms, and curled her paw around the back of Nick's head, forcing his mouth to hers and pulling him into another deep kiss. He obliged greedily and ran his claws down her bare chest, taking another whiff of her sent and almost passing out. Judy shook violently and, paws shaking, began to unbutton his jeans.

Nick broke the kiss again,causing her to protest as she fumbled with his pants. "Judy, wait." He said, softly grabbing her paws in his and halting her progress.

She shook her head, looking up at him with her sad bunny eyes. It made him melt, but he kept his composure.

"No, seriously. There's some things we should talk about before this goes any further."

Judy was starting to go crazy. She was almost angry at him. He just admitted he _knew_ she was in heat, yet he was still intent on teasing her. She pouted and wretched her paws free, going back to his pants. "We'll talk after" she almost begged. She needed him. Right now.

Nick grabbed her paws again and rolled over onto his side next to her. "It's important" he said, looking right into her eyes.

Judy regained her composure when she realized he wasn't just trying to tease her. She looked at him curiously.

Nick sighed, "You know this isn't…normal, right?" he asked. "Are you sure you want this?"

She looked at him indignantly. "I don't care if it's normal. People kept telling me that a bunny cop wasn't normal, too." She said angrily.

"I know, and that's part of the reason I decided to even go this far." He said. "No one is going to keep you from what you want. You're too stubborn for that. But do you even know you want this?"

He sighed again. "People were quick to accept you into the police force. You proved yourself as a great officer in a short amount of time, and solved one of the biggest cases in ZPD history." He explained. "But people aren't going to accept _us_ as easily."

"They accepted us at the club just fine-" she began, but Nick quickly cut in.

"Yes, the club frequented by almost exclusively inter-species couples accepted an inter-species couple." He said sarcastically. "Shockingly enough, the world is bigger than that. Did you notice that there wasn't a single cab around the club, even at that hour? Most night clubs like that have cabs lined up to take home drunk patrons. It's easy money. But they avoid that place like the fucking plague." He said bitterly. "That's most of society. The ZPD may be more accepting, what with Francine and everything, but it's their job to keep the peace, they can't really discriminate."

Judy opened her mouth to protest again, but Nick stopped her "You don't know what you're in for. It's going to be worse. All the prejudice you faced for wanting to be a cop? All the prejudice I faced just for being a fox? Multiply all that by ten." He could hear the pain in his voice, the inappropriate thoughts that were coursing through Judy's head vanished. All she wanted now was to reassure him.

"Nick" she spoke softly. "I love you. I don't care what other mammals think about it. I'm too stubborn for that" she echoed, smiling at him.

"I love you too" Nick said, the pain in his voice growing, cutting through Judy like a knife. She didn't like to hear him sound so hurt, and it was killing her. "You just…you're rushing into this so quickly, I don't think you've stopped to think about anything. I don't want to be the reason you're unhappy, that's why I was so unsure about this in the first place. Your family and friends back home, how do you think they're going to-"

Judy cut him off this time, with a forceful kiss. She grabbed his cheeks and rolled on top of him. "They can handle it Nick." She said, breaking away. "And if they can't, then I can. Stop trying to be so noble."

Nick just looked at her in awe. He had been doing that a lot lately. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but he needed her in his life, and if she was happy then so was he. He breathed again: her scent had returned with a vengeance, and his head swam as she nuzzled his neck. He noticed her inching her paws down toward his pants to continue where she left off.

He grabbed her again. "There's one more thing." He said, trying to sound just as serious, but betrayed by a small smirk that crept across his lips.

Judy looked at him angrily. _Now_ he was just trying to tease her.

"How much do you know about… fox anatomy?" he asked bluntly.

She was taken aback. Judy was unsure what he meant by that, but she kept her cool and gave him a sultry look, "Nothing yet, but I'm eager to learn." She said suggestively, and started trying to free her paws from his grip.

Her scent had gone into overdrive, and Nick was sent into a haze. He stumbled on his words a bit, as he had never had to actually explain this to anyone.

"I-okay, uh. When we're in the middle of everything, and I'm toward the end, the base of…like, the bottom. It sort of, bulges a bit." He said lamely.

Judy looked at him quizzically, raising an eyebrow as he made a mess of his words.

"Anyway, sometimes it can get…stuck" he said, slightly embarrassed. "And you're so small, it's almost definitely going to happen."

Judy thought for a moment. She _really_ wasn't expecting that revelation, but the idea of getting 'stuck' to him like that made her shiver, and her scent spiked ferociously as a wave of want coursed through her.

Nick of course noticed, and even though he already had an idea of the answer, he asked anyway. "Is that…okay? I just didn't want you to be caught off-guard."

Judy didn't say anything, instead deciding to answer by more violently trying to remove his pants.


	7. Morning

_Author note:_

 _Sorry for the slight delay, I had a...weird weekend._

 _I was visiting extended family in Pennsylvania for the holiday and, long story short, I somehow accidentally found myself wandering around AnthroCon._

 _It was a surreal experience. A month ago, I had both feet rooted firmly in the land of denial, and now I'm writing Zootopia fanfiction and going to conventions. My life is pretty much crumbling around me, but I welcome the change. Everyone was super nice and I'm probably going back next year._

 _Anyway, hope you enjoy._

 _UPDATE: Deleted the smut chapter and added it as a separate one-shot. It's also published chronologically on AO3, if anyone is interested. Sorry for the weird FF issues._

* * *

Judy's internal alarm went off in the early hours of the morning. She didn't open her eyes, simply stirring a bit in her bed. She shivered slightly, reaching over to pull her blanket back over herself, prying her eyes open to look at her clock and check the time. Instead of a blanket,her paws found Nick's fur, and rather than her alarm clock she saw two empty bottles of water on a bedside table.

The memories of last night started surging back into her sleep deprived mind. She shivered again, but this time for a different reason. The previous night had been _wonderful_. She looked over at Nick, who was lying on his back, mouth half open and still fast asleep.

Judy smiled to herself, looking over him to check for a clock on the other bedside table. 7:18AM. She had gotten maybe 3 hours of sleep, and had to be at work in less than 45 minutes. She shook Nick awake anxiously.

"Nick!" she said in a quiet yell. "Wake up! We're going to be late!"

Nick grunted, and without even opening his eyes to look, simply said "No we're not."

Judy sighed angrily. "It's almost 7:20, just get up!" she said and moved to get out of bed. As soon as her feet touch the floor, she fell flat on her face. Every muscle from her knees to the bottom of her chest felt like they were on fire.

She tried to say something, but all that came out was a whine. She had _never_ been this sore, even when she was at the academy.

Nick looked at her over the side of the bed, slightly concerned, but mostly amused. "Come back to bed, you're going to hurt yourself."

Judy glared at him. "If I come back to bed, apparently _you're_ going to hurt me." She said angrily, trying to stand while her muscles protested. "I can barely walk! What did you _do_ to me?"

"What, like, scientifically speaking?" he asked, giving her a smug look. There was _nothing_ more satisfying than hearing a woman you just spent the night with tell you she can barely walk.

She glared at him and gingerly turned toward the door. How was she supposed to chase after criminals when she was in this much pain just trying to get ready for work?

Just before she reached for the handle, Nick swooped behind, picking her up gently and carrying her back toward the bed.

"Nick, seriously! We're gonna be late!" she protested, as he laid her gently onto the covers, and took his place right next to her.

He smirked at her again. "A naked fox just carried you to his bed, and all you can think about is work?" he asked in a mock indignant tone. "You wound me, Carrots." He added, as he pulled her toward him.

"Nick stop being so calm, we _really_ need to get to the station-" she began, but Nick's actions made her voice catch in her throat. He was hugging her with one arm, the other gently rubbing his claws along her navel. He was growling, playfully and oh so quietly into her ear.

"Judy." He whispered hoarsely, and she made a tiny, barely audible moan. He smiled and continued "we have the day off today. I know the concept of a day off is foreign to you, but try to relax. Zootopia will be fine without you for one day" He teased.

Judy just lay there in Nick's arms for a moment. Normally on her days off, she was disappointed, even going so far as to go show up at the station anyway to catch up on paperwork. But the thought of spending a day off with Nick, especially after last night, made her heart swell. She turned her body in his arms and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his fur.

Nick yawned as he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug, and within minutes they were both back to sleep.

* * *

Nick was jarred from his slumber as a sharp pain jabbed at him. He winced and abruptly opened his eyes, groggy and confused, when he saw Judy snuggled against him, still fast asleep with her back pressed against his chest and snuggling with his tail. He figured she must have accidently yanked on it when she rolled over. After carefully removing it from her grasp, he turned to look at the clock: 11:40. Nick was just about to wake her and ask what she wanted to do for breakfast when an idea crossed his mind and he smirked to himself.

Careful to not wake her, he slowly slid out of bed and walked around to the other side. Putting his nose right up against her face, he suddenly yelled "Judy wake up!"

She startled and moved away from him, looking confused.

"Chief Bogo called me a thousand times, it's past 11, and we're very late. Hurry and get dressed! We have to go right now!" he said quickly.

Her eyes grew wide and she hopped out of bed, panicking. Just as before, as soon as her feet touched the ground she fell, but this time into Nick's waiting arms, and he began to laugh.

Her panic was replaced with the memories from a few hours ago, as well as the screaming of her muscles. She was still _very_ sore. "You're so mean" she pouted, looking up at him with her sad bunny eyes.

Nick's heart gave him a familiar jolt as he looked into her eyes. He picked her up gently and pulled her into a soft kiss. "Sorry," he apologized, still looking pleased with his trick. "I just couldn't help myself."

"Did you even try?" she said indignantly, but beginning to laugh as well.

Nick turned and walked toward the door, still holding his bunny. "Wait, that's an option?" he quipped, planted another kiss on her forehead as he opened the bedroom door.

Judy looked up at him as he carried her bridal style toward the kitchen. The last time she had felt this happy was her first day at the ZPD. She had never imagined anything else could have filled her with the same sense of completeness and success. And yet, here she was, gazing lovingly up at the naked fox that was carrying her around his apartment.

Nick walked through the doorway of the kitchen as he noticed the look that Judy was giving him: the same look of love and happiness she had given him before they left the club the night before. He simply smiled at her and placed another kiss between her ears before setting her down on a stool at the island counter in the center of the kitchen.

The thoughts running through Nick's head were similar to Judy's, but there was one key difference: Nick couldn't really call upon a recent memory where he had felt this good about himself. Sure, he was good at conning people, and made good money doing it, and it was all technically legal and by the book. But he couldn't recall a time before he met Judy where he was content with his place in life.

He quickly turned away from her, busying himself with making a pot of coffee for them. She seemed to notice his change in demeanor, and she noticed his ears drooped slightly. "Is…something wrong?" she asked hesitantly. She couldn't help but feel a little worried that he was having second thoughts about them, the idea making her feel nauseous.

Nick finished with the coffee maker and turned to smile at Judy. "Just a little a tired still." He said, trying to sound nonchalant.

She looked at him, her violet eyes piercing his. "Nick, we're both naked in your kitchen." She said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. She could tell he was upset about something. "Don't you think we're a little past the point of lying to each other?" she asked.

Nick sighed, and smirked at her. "Am I really that much easier to read when I don't have pants on?"

"Well, it's a little more distracting." She said flirtatiously "but yes. I'm not too sure, but I think last night's events make us a couple now. You don't have to keep being so secretive."

Nick walked over to the island, across from where she was sitting and put his face in his paws. "I'm fine. Just a little stressed, I guess" he said, slightly muffled.

Judy lightly placed a paw on his arm. "About what? Us?" she asked.

Nick thought for a moment. Had he been talking to anyone else, he would have continued keeping his guard up, but something about Judy made him feel so vulnerable and open. Without warning, he unloaded everything.

"Yes, of course. I'm worried I've gotten too attached, too quickly, and soon you'll come to your senses and walk out." He began. Judy was taken aback, and tried to say something, but he kept going. "You changed me. You know that right? I didn't have any direction in my life, and then you waltzed into it. Suddenly I feel like I'm worth something and I can't remember the last time I felt that. It scares me. That isn't how my life has gone. Good things don't just happen to me like that, falling from the sky into my lap."

Judy had never seen Nick look so vulnerable, and it made her tear up. Clutching his face, he continued "I don't like feeling like this. I don't want to empty out all my problems for you to deal with. I don't want you to feel trapped here. To stay with me for my sake. But I'm scared you'll leave when you _really_ find out how the world sees us. And I honestly couldn't blame you if you did."

Judy moved his paws away and held them in her paws. "Nick" she began "it's been a day. I'm not going to pretend I know this is going to work. It might not."

His face fell, and she quickly reassured him "That doesn't mean I'm going to leave when the first thing goes wrong. We were friends first, we can be friends after. I'll never want you out of my life. I can tell you one thing I do know. Other mammals are the last thing that will pull us apart." And she smiled, pecking him on the cheek.

Nick simply stood there, holding her paws. He was still uncertain, but seeing the ferocity in her eyes was somehow calming. He still couldn't fathom how he had gotten so lucky, but the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach seemed to leave as he lost himself in her eyes.

Judy broke the silence "I like vulnerable Nick." She teased.

Nick glared at her, but couldn't suppress a smirk.

"No coffee for you." He said, turning back toward the counter.

* * *

 _Special thanks to jamierolls for betareading. They're the best._

 _Also, a special thanks to Kittah4, for taking the time to leave a review on every single chapter when I asked for input on reddit._


	8. Takeout

_Author note:_

 _I have a tumblr now. It's the same as my pen name here, so feel free to...do whatever it is people do on tumblr. Ask me personal questions? I don't know._

 _Once again, the positive response to this has been overwhelming, and I'd like to thank everyone. I love you all._

 _Special thanks to jamierolls and my new betareader, Kendallizer for fixing things. You guys are chill._

* * *

Judy sighed contently as Nick busied himself with the coffee, grabbing mugs and sugar. She looked around the room, and it occurred to her just how _nice_ Nick's living situation was: _much_ better than the shoddy studio apartment she was currently living in. Between talks about Nick's feelings and reluctance, and the passionate walk to the bedroom last night, she hadn't really had the time to notice her surroundings. She couldn't even remember what the living room looked like; she just remembered the couch being soft.

She surveyed the kitchen idly. Sleek and minimalist: black counters and white cabinets. There weren't any decorations, save for what appeared to be a dead plant in the window above the sink, through which the afternoon light was pouring in. Apart from the plant, the place was fairly well kept and neat. It was simple and elegant; not outside a reasonable standard of living, and certainly not what Judy would expect from someone that claimed to make two-hundred dollars a day for twenty years.

She looked back at Nick, walking back toward the island counter and taking a seat on the stool across from her. They had gotten coffee enough times together to know how she took hers: one cream, three sugars. She took a sip and began making small talk. "You should water your plants." She said, nodding toward the windowsill.

"Hmm?" he said, looking behind him. "Oh, that. It was fake when I bought it, I don't know how it still died." He replied, making her snicker.

Nick simply stared at Judy, the naked bunny he'd just made coffee for, sitting in his kitchen after a fun night. He sighed contently as he drank the last of his coffee, and watched as she stood up and walked toward his fridge.

"…are you kidding?" she asked as she eyed the contents. It was virtually empty: several containers of blueberry yogurt, a few bottles of water, butter, and cheese. The rest was barren. "Do you eat yogurt for every meal?"

Nick was slightly embarrassed. "Just breakfast. I eat out a lot, and I didn't really plan on having to make breakfast for a beautiful bunny, otherwise I would have gone shopping." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well it's past breakfast, and yogurt doesn't make a full meal anyway." She said. Her heart skipped a beat when he called her beautiful, but she decided to ignore that. "We'll just get some brunch somewhere. Get dressed, I'm starving."

Nick's ears folded back. "I'm sure I can whip something up…" he said slowly. He didn't want to throw her into the world of inter-species prejudice after their first night together.

Judy raised an eyebrow at him. "Nick-" she began, but he cut her off

"I know, I know. You don't care about what other animals think. I don't want you to associate looks of disapproval with our relationship this early in the game, though. Let's not just rush out and declare our status to the world because you want brunch." He attempted to smirk at her.

Judy was starting to get angry. She closed the fridge and walked toward him. "Do you want us to hide forever, then? Never go out? Are you ashamed to be a part of this?"

Her last sentence cut into him, and he reached out to grab her paw. "Never." He said sincerely, looking into her eyes. Her glare softened. "I…would just rather not put you through that immediately. Let's just stay in today. It's past noon, we can order takeout for lunch. And I won't have to put on pants." He raised his eyebrows at her with his last statement, smirking.

Judy rolled her eyes at him and pouted. "Fine." She said, "but you're paying"

Nick pulled her into a hug, and sarcastically quipped, "as if you weren't going to make me pay for brunch."

"I never _make_ you pay for anything!" Judy said indignantly, pulling away from the hug and putting her paws on her hips.

"I wish I had your stupid carrot pen." He said, grinning at her. "You're making me pay for takeout, you just said that less than ten seconds ago." He smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes again and pushed him away playfully. "Shut up and put pants on."

"Uh-uh, nope. No pants for this fox today. It's my day off." He said, placing his paws proudly on his hips.

"I'm sure the delivery mammal will appreciate that." She responded, looking down at his shameless display.

"Not as much as you will." He grinned. "I'm going to take a shower first. If you still insist on ruining my fun, then I'll put pants on."

"You're all heart." She said, rolling her eyes. "I could use a shower, too. Do you mind if I take one here when you're done?"

"You don't have to wait." He responded, lowering his head and giving her a seductive look. Without warning, he swooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom.

"Careful!" She yelled, wincing slightly. "I'm still sore!"

* * *

Almost three hours had gone by, and the two of them were sitting in Nick's bed. Judy was in his lap, wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that both belonged to him. They were a little big for her, but she didn't mind, mostly because they smelled like him and it filled her with joy. They were both staring intently at Nick's laptop, which was open at their feet. Nick was baffled when Judy revealed she had never seen _Mad Mammals_ over lunch _,_ and immediately queued it up for them to watch.

The credits for the second episode began to roll, and Judy broke the silence. "Okay, you were right. That's a great show." She said, leaning into his chest and rolling her head back to look up at him

"See, Miss It-just-doesn't-look-interesting?" He grinned "I'm actually glad you haven't seen it. I get to experience you watching it for the first time, that's almost as good as watching it the first time myself."

"Hmmm, so if I watch it when I go home, you're going to be upset?" she asked, genuinely disappointed.

"Yes, yes I would." He responded kissing her on the forehead. "Next episode, then?" he asked.

"No, I'm thinking about going for a jog. I'm going a little stir crazy." She said.

"Ugh, Carrots, it's your day off, take a break." He groaned. He pulled her into his arms and lay back on the pillows. "Just stay in bed with me."

She struggled playfully, enjoying the moment with him before responding. "Why don't you come with me? It would probably do you some good." She said, smirking as she remembered the race they had after the Gazelle concert. It was hard to believe that'd happened only two nights ago.

"I can think of more enjoyable ways to train my stamina, if that's what you're implying." He said, teasing her with his claws and smirking.

She shivered, but remained in control. "We have all night for that, Officer Wilde." She said, giving him a smirk of her own.

"We have all day, too. Technically," he quipped, running a claw around the fringe of her shirt.

"I wanna go do something! Let's at least go for a walk, it's a beautiful day outside." She said, pushing his paw away and pouting.

Nick sighed, but relented, an idea coming to his mind. "Alright then, I have the perfect place in mind. It's a bit of a drive though. And you'll probably need clothes that fit you."

"We can stop by my apartment on the way!" she exclaimed, excited that Nick had actually agreed to be seen outside with her, and with minimal arguing at that. She hopped out of bed and hurried toward the door.

Nick followed her out the door to his apartment, almost having to jog to keep up. "How are you so full of energy? What do you normally do on your days off?" he asked, reaching the door to the complex and walking outside.

She blushed, "I usually…go to the station." She explained, slightly embarrassed.

Nick stopped walking and looked at her blankly. "That actually doesn't even surprise me." He said flatly as he began to walk again. "Do you even know what the phrase "day off" means?"

"Apparently not!" she said brightly, and began skipping toward his car. She was absolutely giddy about spending a day with out with Nick. As fun as it was cuddling in his apartment, she liked being outside in the open air, too. There are some country habits that are hard to break.

"We're really gonna have to have a long, serious talk about your work habits." He said, smirking at her as he stepped into his car and started the engine.

She simply smiled and hugged his arm, saying nothing as he pulled out into the street.

The ride to her apartment was uneventful. She had a paw wrapped in Nick's, and was using her other to play with Nick's fur. He parked across the street from her apartment building and turned the car off.

"You've never seen my apartment have you?" she asked, suddenly realizing.

"No, I guess not." He replied, pondering all the times he had turned her down when she invited him over. It was always accompanied by a scent spike, and he was still firmly in denial at that time.

"Well, come inside then!" she said happily, and walked around the car.

As soon as Nick stood up, she hopped on his back and nuzzled his neck. He began walking toward the door to her building when she asked, "So where are you taking me today? You said it was a drive."

Nick smirked at her, looking before crossing the street. "Oh, it's just outside the city. It's nice. Secluded, you'll love it." He said. As he opened the door and entered the complex, neither of them noticed the truck parked down the street with the Hopps' Farm logo on it.

"Fourth floor." She instructed, and Nick began walking up the stairs.

Judy squeezed Nick and nuzzled him again. "Well I can't wait to see what you have planned for us!"

"I don't have anything planned." He said, bouncing her playfully on his back. "You just kind of sprung this on me. But it's a nice spot. I used to go there all the time as a kit. Haven't been there in years, though." He said, reaching the top of the landing to the fourth floor as Judy planted a kiss on his cheek.

He stopped dead, looking straight in front of him. Judy didn't notice the look of horror on his face, simply pointing "my apartment's right up there, on…the right…" she trailed off.

Standing outside her door were her parents, looking at them both, dumbfounded and having just witnessed their daughter kissing her fox boyfriend on the cheek.

" _Judy?!"_

"Uhm, hi…guys. I didn't know you would be in town..."


	9. Confrontations

Judy slid off Nick's back and stepped in front of him, facing her parents. This isn't exactly how she had imagined telling them that she had begun a relationship with a fox. At the very least, she would have liked to have had time to plan. "I mentioned that I was assigned a new partner on the force. Well, this is Nicholas Wilde." She stated, hoping against hope that her parents might not have noticed how affectionate they just were.

Nick was in shock, looking straight ahead at Mr. and Mrs. Hopps. It had been awhile since he'd been caught off-guard like this, and he was speechless. The Hopps' were staring right back at him; not exactly friendly, but not outright hateful yet either. Mostly confusion, with a hint of fear. He waved a clawed paw when Judy introduced him, making them flinch ever so slightly, and he dropped his arm back to his side, defeated.

Judy noticed her parents' reaction to Nick's friendly gesture, and suddenly didn't care what they had seen or what they knew anymore. She looked up at Nick, and noticed his ears were folded back. He no longer had the shocked, surprised look on his face though: in fact, he wasn't really showing any emotion anymore, but when he looked back at Judy she could see the pain in his eyes behind the mask of indifference he was attempting to wear. She grabbed his paw in her's and placed it over her shoulder, sidling up next to him. He didn't react, but the gesture was comforting.

"He's also, as of yesterday, my boyfriend." Judy said bluntly.

Bonnie had a horrified look on her face, and simply mouthed the word _boyfriend_ to herself. Stu worked up the courage to speak. "That's not funny, Jude." he said, unsure of himself.

"Well good, because it wasn't a joke." She said, glaring at him before he could say anything else. "I would have told you before so it wouldn't have come as such a surprise, but it was all very abrupt and I didn't know I'd be meeting you outside my apartment." She said quickly, trying to minimize any arguing. "Why _are_ you here unannounced, anyway?"

"We're _not_ here unannounced." Stu said, starting to get rather irritated. "We called, but your cell went straight to voicemail. We left you a thousand messages."

"My cell has been dead, I haven't been home to charge it-" she began absentmindedly when her mother cut her off.

" _You spent the night with a_ fox?!" She said in a horrified stage-whisper, glancing at Nick.

Nick looked down at the ground, as Judy simply raised her eyebrows. "Well that's _not_ what I said, but since you asked: yes, I did." Her voice started to rise as she became angrier. Nick's paw tightened slightly on her shoulder, and she could tell he was getting upset.

Judy's parents stared at the pair of them, mortified and almost looking shameful, which stirred something in Judy's chest. Nick had been right about their reactions: spot-on, in fact. They looked like they were ready to _disown_ her, and she couldn't tell whether she wanted to cry or start yelling. She sighed, and said, "Look, I'm sorry this came as such a surprise, but it's not a big deal-" she started to ask when her father interrupted this time.

"Judy, your mother and I were as supportive as we could be when you joined the police force.." he explained, and glanced at Nick again. "But you deal with dangerous animals all day at your job, and now you're _involved_ with one?!"

Judy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew her parents were a little prejudiced, but it hadn't occurred to her that they would be outright _cruel_ right to Nick's face. " _Dangerous?!"_ she said indignantly. "Nick is a _cop._ He's my _partner._ And he's the best friend I've made since I moved here." she said, squeezing Nick's paw in her own. "How can you be so insulting?"

"Judy, he's a _predator._ " Bonnie said in the same stage-whisper and shooting him another look. "How can you be sure he isn't just trying to…" she trailed off, as if the thought was too much for her to bear.

"Trying to _what,_ exactly?" she asked, her voice rising even more, "Attack me? He's had plenty of opportunities. We're alone together constantly!" She was glaring at the two of them, " _He's_ the one one who tried to talk me out of it. He said the world-he said _you_ wouldn't be accepting, and I told him I didn't care." Her voice rose to a full yell, and she was sure the entire building would hear, but she pressed on. "He's been nothing but supportive! He wants nothing other than to make me happy! Well, _he_ makes me happy!" She huffed, sent another fiery glare at her parents, and dragged Nick toward the door of her apartment.

"Judith Laverne Hopps, you are _not_ taking a fox into your apartm-"

"Watch me." She spat venomously as she opened the door and let him go inside. Judy entered the threshold and turned to face her parents again. She was holding back tears at this point, but kept her composure. "I can't believe you're being so hypocritical, after hiring Gideon at the farm. I'd hoped you'd be more accepting, but I'm an adult. I'm not going to stop dating Nick because you don't like it."

" _Hypocritical?_ " Stu said raising his eyebrows. "Gideon's a business partner! We don't invite him into our home to sleep under our roof. We don't-"

That was the last straw for Judy, and she let her frustration get the better of her. "I never said anything about sleeping last night, either." She said savagely, and she slammed the door.

It was silent in her apartment for a long time, and Judy simply stared at the door. Her last remark must have had a greater impact than she'd considered, as her parents didn't bother trying to pursue her. She and Nick both heard them whispering frantically, and Judy half expected them to call her name, insisting she come back outside, but eventually she heard their footsteps walk down the hall and fade away.

She turned around looked up at Nick, who was trying his best to remain expressionless.

"That went well." he said flatly, halfheartedly giving Judy a smirk. He was trying to lighten the mood a little, but looked at her cautiously.

She snorted, then abruptly pulled him into a hug, burying her face in his chest. "It could have gone better." she said. She tried to laugh, paws clutching the back of his shirt, but there was a lump forming in her throat. Her anger with her parents began to dissipate, but it was just replaced with disappointment. All things considered, Nick's meeting with her parents had gone as bad as it possibly could have. It's not like she didn't expect any pushback, but she couldn't have imagined them reacting _this_ badly.

Nick wrapped his arms tightly around her as she began to sob. "Shhh. Don't-don't do that. Come on, it'll be okay." He whispered in her ear, stroking her back.

"I'm sorry." she choked, as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She kept her face buried in his chest as she clung to him.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. You handled it as well as you could have." He said, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "At least until the end. That was pretty bold, I'm impressed." He added, chuckling lightly.

She smiled slightly, and looked up at him, still teary eyed. "I just-it's like you weren't even there. They were _horrible_ to you."

"Were they? I couldn't really hear, your mother was whispering everything." He said sarcastically, shrugging. "I've heard worse things, Carrots", he added, sighing.

Judy frowned at him. She wasn't sure how to respond. She knew about his past, and he'd told her all about various acts of prejudice he'd experienced. She opened her mouth to apologize again when Nick pulled her into a kiss. It was passionate, but brief, and Nick pulled away shortly.

"Don't worry about me, Carrots." He said, smiling softly at her. "All I want is for you to be happy, remember? So I need you to stop crying. I know our first real date isn't going as well as we planned, but please, no more tears."

Judy wiped her eyes and smiled back at him. "Do you...still want to go?" she asked tentatively. She wasn't even sure if _she_ still wanted to go, frankly. She would have been content to just stay in after the conversation with her parents. She felt emotionally drained.

"Oh, absolutely. We can't end the day on that note, I'm pretty much obligated to show you a good time at this point." He said, stroking her shoulder. He gave her a smug smirk at the ambiguous wording, and she snorted again. He added "besides, like I said before, it's a quaint little place. No one there to bother us."

Judy gave him another squeeze before moving toward the dresser to change into something more fitting. "How do I know you aren't just trying to drag me to some secluded place to attack me?" she teased, echoing her mother.

"Please, what do you take me for?" He said in mock indignance. "Do you know how hard it is to dig a grave, even for a bunny? I'm not up for all that. If I wanted to kill you, I'd take you boating or something."

Judy laughed and rolled her eyes. "You're so romantic." She said flatly as she finished changing, and they both walked back out the door.


	10. Violet

Nick was taking a back road on the outskirts of the city, with Judy staring out the window. They had been on the move for nearly fifteen minutes, and the rolling hills were slowly replaced with a backdrop of trees. Judy was getting antsy.

"Nick, will you _please_ tell me where we're going?" she pleaded, yet again, looking over at him with doe-eyes.

"Through the windshield, if you ask me one more time." Nick said, shooting a smirk in her direction and making her roll her eyes, snorting quietly. "I told you it's a surprise, Carrots. Relax, we're almost there."

"Nick, where are we going," she said flatly, glaring playfully at him, daring him to follow through with his threat.

"Listen, Fluff. I already owe you a brake-check, don't make me ruin our first date by cashing in now." He replied, his smirk growing into a grin.

Judy let out an exaggerated sigh and fidgeted in the seat, dramatically flinging her head back into the headrest.

"Holy shit, we're here!" Nick yelled very sudden and dramatically, making Judy jump. "And thank goodness you were so patient! What a painless and quiet car ride!" he added as he slowed the car and drove on the shoulder.

Judy's ears perked up slightly in excitement, but she looked quizzically at Nick. "Where are we?"

"There's a path through the trees just over there." he responded, gesturing out the window. He parked the car in a small clearing at the edge of the road, just at the tree line, and stepped out, followed shortly by Judy.

"So we're _not_ there yet? We have to walk still." Judy said, smirking at Nick.

"The walk is part of it. It's a nice walk. Don't insult the walk." Nick said, looking playfully affronted.

"I'm sure it's lovely." She responded, rolling her eyes again.

Nick chose to ignore the sarcastic quip and simply began walking, gesturing for Judy to follow him. Hopping after him, she briefly considered jumping on his back again, but settled for wrapping his paw in hers and squeezing his arm gently.

They walked through the small clearing marking the start of the path. It was just before dusk, and there was still a small amount of sun shining through the canopy. Judy inhaled and the smell of pine and damp flora filled her nose. It reminded her of home: similar, yet so different from the countryside. They walked together in silence for a few minutes as the trees gradually thinned.

Nick was following his nose. He caught a whiff of their destination as soon as he set foot on the path and was waiting for the scent to reach Judy, glancing down every so often. The path began to dip downhill, and just before an opening to a clearing in the trees, a blast of flowery scent hit Judy in the face. She breathed deeply. The scent was powerful, but not as powerful as the view.

As they exited what appeared to be a wall of trees, the path dipped sharply downwards. The sun was shining through the trees on the other side of the clearing, casting a slight glow on the open space between: a solid 50 yards in every direction, filled with nothing but deep purple flowers.

"Wow…" Judy whispered as she squeezed Nick's paw.

Nick moved her in front him, wrapping his arms around her and sitting them both down on the sloped path, giving them a perfect view. "See?" he said. "And you were trying to ruin the moment by spoiling the surprise."

"Stop talking, _you're_ trying to ruin the moment now." She teased as he rested his chin between her ears. "It's beautiful," she mused. "How did you find this place?"

"Oh, I drove my first stolen car here." he said nonchalantly.

She turned around and raised an eyebrow at him. "No, seriously."

"I wish I was kidding." he smirked. "I was 15 and stupid. I didn't really think it through, to be honest. Who did I think was gonna buy a stolen car off a teenaged fox?"

" _Nick!_ " She said indignantly.

"What? They got it back, I didn't break anything."

"That's not the point!"

"The real victim of this story is me! I had to walk home!" he said, in a mocking tone.

She turned back around and thumped him in the chest with her head. "You're ruining the moment," she said flatly.

"Right, how dare I. Being honest and whatnot." he teased, stroking the fur on her arm.

"Yes, stealing a car is the epitome of honesty." she shot back, but couldn't hold back a snicker.

"Crime is no laughing matter, Officer Carrots." He playfully scolded. "Aren't you going to try to arrest me like those cops did over...- holy shit, over fifteen years ago." he said, suddenly thoughtful. "What's the statute of limitations on grand theft auto?"

"Three years," she said immediately. "Unless you used force, then that adds assault and makes it a Class A, so six years."

"That...was rhetorical. Why do you know that off the top of your head?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I study," she said simply, shrugging.

"Gross," he said, and she thumped him in the chest with her head again.

Nick abruptly scooped her up in his arms and said "I know talking police business gets you hot, but no more talk about work. Let's frolic." And he began to skip, rather exaggeratedly, toward the flowers.

"Frolic? Really?" Judy said between giggles as Nick began to spin with her in his arms.

"What can I say, I'm a sucker for clichés." He responded, and he fell on his back in the middle of the field dragging them both to the ground, Judy on top of him.

"We're still going to discuss your car theft." she said, laying her head on his chest and sighing.

"Shhh. Don't ruin the moment." he responded. He reached out and picked a particularly vibrant violet and tucked it in the fur on her head. "It matches your eyes." he said softly when she looked up at him.

Judy blushed and smiled at him. He was staring at her with an odd look on his face: full of longing, but not lustful. He was looking at her like she was the only thing he'd ever wanted.

"I'm a sucker for clichés." he said again, and he pulled her into a kiss.

They stayed locked together for a surprisingly long, yet agonizingly short time, and by the time they came back to their senses, the sun had already set completely. He stroked her cheek and said "I guess we should start heading out, it's getting late. We have work tomorrow." he finished with a sigh.

"I think we have some work to do tonight, too." She whispered sultrily in his ear.

Nick's ears perked up, and he immediately stood, making a beeline toward the path back to the car. He repositioned Judy onto his shoulders and made a show of jogging excitedly.

"We're not even going to make it home, are we?" she whispered again.

"Not on your life." He grinned.


	11. Thanks

_Author note: Sorry about the delay. I took a bit of a break I guess, I dno._

 _Anyway, I was waiting for one of my beta readers to respond before I posted it, and he either had no input or forgot. No worries, my other readers said there were no problems. Big thanks to them again :)_

 _Probably more smut after this, I left it open for that reason._

* * *

Nick was driving across the country road back toward the city. The sun had set completely, and the sky was dotted with the few stars that were visible between the clouds and the still-present light pollution from the city.

Nick was grinning to himself, almost laughing, and was resting a hand on Judy's thigh. Judy was glaring out the window, refusing to look at him.

"What's wrong, Fluff? You seem mad." he asked, cheerily.

"I'm not mad." She responded without looking.

"See, I watched you say that, and your body language is really giving a different vibe." Nick, of course, knew exactly what the problem was, but he was having a little too much fun poking the bear.

"I'm not mad, I'm frustrated." She said, through gritted teeth.

"That's really just the word 'mad' with more syllables." He said, holding back his laughter.

"That's not - my god, you're driving me insane."

"Driving you _mad_?"

Judy put her head in her paws and made a noise of aggravation. As annoying as that remark was, she couldn't help but snicker slightly. "Sexually frustrated, Nick." She said flatly, spelling it out for him." _Someone_ took me on an incredible date and then decided to leave me high and dry for the 20 minute drive back to town."

"Ah, okay then." He responded, still grinning. " _Mad_ with desire." he added quietly out of the corner of his mouth.

Judy sighed loudly and slumped back against the seat. "You're insufferable." She groaned.

"Hey, you're the one that was calling my self-control into question. I don't respond well to challenges." He said, shrugging. "Also, it's more of a 30 minute drive. Stop trying to trick me into speeding. I'm an officer of the law, now." he added with a smirk.

Judy sighed again and glared at him. "It wasn't a challenge!" She said loudly.

"Of course not. I won, so it was never a challenge to begin with. I've played this game before." Nick said, no longer holding back his laughter.

"It wasn't though..." She said, defeated. She was starting to get genuinely upset.

"Hey, come on. Smiles, Fluff. I'm just teasing you!" and he gave her another squeeze on the thigh.

Judy's feelings went from upset back to frustration, and she huffed "you're _always_ teasing me. It gets old."

"Nonsense. It's called foreplay, Carrots." He said with a smirk. "Can't you feel the anticipation? You can just-" he inhaled deeply through his nose and gave her a knowing look, "smell it in the air!"

Judy rolled her eyes. "I hate that you can do that." she sighed.

"It's a blessing and a curse." he responded simply. "With the vibes you were giving off, I almost ravaged you in that field of flowers." He winked. "But I have more _self-control_ than that."

She put her face in her paws and rubbed her eyes. "Give me a synonym for insufferable," she said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to use the same word twice."

"Recalcitrant." He responded simply.

Judy raised an eyebrow, took Nick's phone, and after a moment said "Not really a synonym, but it actually fits better!" She then added flatly "You're recalcitrant."

"I know, thanks!" He responded.

The rest of the drive went by in relative silence, and soon the two of them were back in front of Nick's apartment. Judy's surprise meeting with her parents didn't keep her from riding on Nick's back again, and she gave him a quick kiss on the neck as he opened the door to his apartment. As they crossed the threshold and closed the door, she moved her paws down to wrap them around his middle, and began innocently tugging his shirt up and nuzzled the back of his neck.

Nick took the hint, and within moments they were back on the couch. He swung her from his back effortlessly into the cushions and pulled her into a deep kiss, just as passionate and fiery as the kiss in the field of flowers, and the recent memory stirred something in both of them. Paws were roaming, stroking any inch of bare fur they could reach. Nick rolled over and pulled Judy on top of him as she began kissing his neck. He ran his paws down her sides, and then up her back, provoking a small whine from the back of her throat.

Judy made an attempt to move from his neck back to his face, when he held a finger in front of her mouth. "You should probably charge your phone and call your parents." He sighed, smirking.

"No, you're right. That won't kill the mood at all." She responded, shooting him a look that was half quizzical, half glaring. "After how they treated you, they can wait."

"They're not going to like me any more if you keep them in the dark, Carrots." He said calmly. "At least shoot them a message, let them know I didn't murder you."

"They shouldn't _need_ me to tell them-" she began, but Nick interrupted her.

"I know that, but that won't stop them worrying." He said, still calm. "And it definitely won't help our case if you keep them out of the loop. At least for the time being."

Judy sighed and buried her head in Nick's chest. "Fine" she relented. "Where's your charger?"

"In the bedroom." he winked, and quickly swooped her in his arms.

"I don't know why this couldn't have waited." She said, frustrated again, wrapping her arms around Nick's neck.

"Don't underestimate my stamina." He said, giving her a sly smile.

Judy bit her lip and rolled her eyes as they entered the bedroom. She spotted her phone on the nightstand, and the end of the charger on the other side just as Nick tossed her onto the bed. Jumping into the air, he landed right next to her, causing her to bounce. She giggled and rolled over to grab her phone and plug it in.

Judy waited a moment after plugging her phone in to turn it on. Nick had his head propped up on one paw, his other absentmindedly tracing circles in Judy's back. Just as she was about to react to this, her phone began to uncontrollably vibrate. Wave upon wave of frantic text from both her parents, numerous voicemails, and even a few texts from various siblings. The two of them simply looked at the screen, not altogether surprised.

"I guess this _was_ a good idea." Judy said with a slight groan. Nick simply shrugged.

When the notifications died down, Judy stared for a moment again, debating whether or not to Muzzletime, and being in Nick's apartment, decided to just call them normally. She hit the call button and put the phone to her ear as Nick gave her a swift good-luck kiss on the cheek and resumed tracing the circles on her back.

The call was picked up almost immediately.

" _Judy!_ " her mother answered. Judy suppressed a groan. Of the two, her father had been a bit more level-headed, and she was hoping he would be the one to pick up first. "Where have you _been?!"_ her mother asked.

"I was with Nick, mom. We went on a date." She responded flatly.

"Are you okay? _Is he still there?"_ she added the last question in a stage whisper.

Judy rolled her eyes. "We're at his apartment again, so yes, he's here. And I'm talking to you, so yes, I'm okay." Judy swore she heard a reaction when she said they were at Nick's place again, but let it slide.

"Judy, we were worried sick about you!" Bonnie said indignantly.

"Yeah, Nick said you would be." She said. "That's the only reason I called." she added that bit a little more fiery than intended. "So you can thank my _fox_ boyfriend for my courtesy."

"I-" Bonnie began, but Judy cut her off, her anger just barely getting the better of her.

"After how you treated him, I can't believe he would still care what you thought. I _still_ can't believe you two." Bonnie said nothing, and they both sat in silence for a bit before Judy quickly calmed down. She sighed. "Anyway, we have to work in the morning, and it's getting late. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Judy" she said quietly. "Thank you for calling."

"Like I said, thank Nick." She said, again, a little too savagely.

Bonnie gave a quick sigh. "Tell him thank you." She said.

Judy looked slightly taken. "Oh, uhm. Okay. I will." She said.

"We love you, Judy." There was a murmur of agreement in the background from Stu.

"You too." Judy responded and hung up the phone. She put the phone down on the bed and stared at it. "Huh." she said to herself.

"Yeah, that sounded like it went better than the first time." Nick said, smirking a little.

"I… yeah, it did. She said to tell you thanks. For getting me to call them." Judy was stunned at the relative level-headedness of the conversation. While she wasn't sure her parents were accepting yet, they weren't outright hostile either. Granted, the conversation _was_ short, and Nick wasn't exactly present for it, but progress is progress.

Judy snapped out of it, and did her best to put on a sultry look, and leaned in close to Nick's ear. "Now, where were we?" she whispered.

Nick flipped her on her back gently and supported himself over her. "Somewhere around here, I think." He smirked, and pulled her into another kiss. He broke away and added with an even wider smirk, "And you thought that would kill the mood."


End file.
